Duration: 4 class sessions Description: Students enter data into a spreadsheet to create a pie graph showing the percentage of colors found in a bag of Skittles. Goals: Students will create and manipulate spreadsheets and graphs. Objectives:
Students will create a spreadsheet to chart the different colors found in a package of Skittles.
Students will collect data, create appropriate charts, and use percentages to describe quantities.
Materials:
1 package of Skittles for each student
computers with Microsoft Excel / access to the Internet
Procedure:
(Depending on class size and computer availability, teachers may choose to have students work individually or in pairs.)
Begin the lesson by distributing a bag of Skittles to each student, along with an index card. Have students look at their package of Skittles. Ask students, "How many different colors of Skittles are there? What percentage of each color do you think is in your bag?" Have students write their predictions on their index cards. "Now open your package of Skittles and tally the amounts of the different colors of Skittles." (Students can write the colors and numbers on the back of their index cards.)
After the results have been tallied, hand out an instruction sheet to each student. The instruction sheet provides step-by-step directions for creating a graph using Microsoft Excel. Students should be able to follow the instructions with minimal help, but the teacher should circulate around the room to answer students' questions. (The teacher can also encourage students to ask each other for help if the teacher is busy assisting another student.) When students have completed their graphs, they should print out a copy of their work. Students can compare their results to their earlier predictions. Assessment: Collect students' completed work to check for accuracy.
What Color are Your Skittles?
Duration: 4 class sessions
Description: Students enter data into a spreadsheet to create a pie graph showing the percentage of colors found in a bag of Skittles.
Goals: Students will create and manipulate spreadsheets and graphs.
Objectives:
Materials:
Procedure:
(Depending on class size and computer availability, teachers may choose to have students work individually or in pairs.)
Begin the lesson by distributing a bag of Skittles to each student, along with an index card. Have students look at their package of Skittles. Ask students, "How many different colors of Skittles are there? What percentage of each color do you think is in your bag?" Have students write their predictions on their index cards. "Now open your package of Skittles and tally the amounts of the different colors of Skittles." (Students can write the colors and numbers on the back of their index cards.)
After the results have been tallied, hand out an instruction sheet to each student. The instruction sheet provides step-by-step directions for creating a graph using Microsoft Excel. Students should be able to follow the instructions with minimal help, but the teacher should circulate around the room to answer students' questions. (The teacher can also encourage students to ask each other for help if the teacher is busy assisting another student.) When students have completed their graphs, they should print out a copy of their work. Students can compare their results to their earlier predictions.
Assessment: Collect students' completed work to check for accuracy.